To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs what his Department is doing to protect Blackies Wood, Bangor, from the impact of the new housing development.

Thank you providing clarification of the location of Blackie’s Wood. Ards and North Down Borough Council has consulted the Natural Environment Division of the Northern Ireland Environment Agency about three planning applications in the vicinity of the area.

Officials have assessed these planning applications in line with planning policy and have recommended conditions and provided informatives, to mitigate or compensate where appropriate, to ensure that significant natural heritage concerns are addressed.

However it is up to the Local Planning Authority (Ards and North Down Borough Council) to make a determination on whether or not to grant approval for these proposals (taking into account all material considerations including our advice) and to decide what conditions and informatives should be applied should approval be granted.